Call to bar

1981

Practice

Criminal Law - both prosecution and defence; all fields but specialising in homicide, fraud, serious sexual offence cases and serious misuse of drugs cases.
Regulatory – all aspects, specialising in Health and Safety, Police Disciplinary matters, SFO. VHCC panel member.

Other Chambers

Charter Chambers, London (Door Tenant); 9 St Johns Street, Manchester (Door Tenant)

Recorder

1998 (Crown and County Court)

Silk

2001

Representative Cases

R v T (2006/2008) – Police Federation case.
R v Khan & Others (October 2008) - Instructed in a 7 handed murder trial.
R v Mtetwa (July 2008) - Instructed in a case wherein a nurse is alleged to have murdered an 84 year old patient in her care.
R v Cohen & others (March - April 2008) - Prosecuted 5 week murder trial in Sheffield wherein the defendants were alleged to have executed the father of their intended victim simply because they were unable to locate the intended victim.
R v Rodgers (2007) – Representing the alleged organiser and main conspirator in a race fixing trial – conspiracy to defraud; horse racing (co-defendant is Kieron Fallon).
2007 – instructed to prosecute 2 x 14 year old boys indicted for murdering a man by kicking him to death.
2007 – Represented a man indicted for aiding and abetting the suicide of his wife.
R v Mark Martin and others (2006) – 6 week trial; prosecuted two serial killers; one had murdered 3 women and the other 2 women in the space of 25 days; convicted; whole life tariff imposed.
R v Kevin Holm and others (2006) – representing one of 8 defendants indicted with the ‘Trustthorpe’ murders (the ‘professional’ execution by shooting of a couple in their home).
R v Phillip Wray (2005) – 6 week trial; represented one of 5 men indicted for murder on the basis of joint enterprise; the only defendant acquitted.
R v Simmerson (2005) – prosecuted for murder; had shot his girlfriend in the head and then concealed her body in an oil drum; attracted much media coverage; convicted.
R v Andrew Cobb (2005) – Health and Safety; represented the owner of an indoor motor cross arena indicted for manslaughter and Health and Safety offences arising out of the death of a 14 year old rider at his track; acquitted of manslaughter.
R v Taylor & others (2004) – prosecuted 9 defendants all indicted with murder; drive by shooting; all convicted; unaware of any other case locally, regionally or nationally involving 9 accused all indicted with murder; joint enterprise.
R v John Palmer (‘Goldfinger’) 2002/3 – represented in confiscation and appellate proceedings, successfully overturning a £33,000,000 confiscation order.
R v Nicholas Van Hoogstraten (2002/3) – sentence at the Central Criminal Court and appellate proceedings (joint enterprise), conviction overturned.
R v Ashton & others (1993) 97 Cr.App.R. 2003 – House of Lords re judicial reviews of stays of indictment.
R v P Turner (1996) – prosecuted South Yorkshire’s first ever murder trial where the deceased’s body had never been found.
R v Shippey (1988) Crim.L.R. 767 – Submissions of no case to answer (plums and duff).
R v Johnson (1989) W.L.R. 740, CA – homicide, self-induced provocation.